'Harvest Moon' makes PC debut with 'Light of Hope'

NATSUME

Twenty years after the series made its debut, Natsume now has a Harvest Moon game on PC as Harvest Moon: Light of Hope releases via Steam. The newly-released computer version launches ahead of the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 versions, which are coming in early 2018 as both a digital and physical release.

"What a wonderful celebration of 20 years for Harvest Moon to debut for the first time on PC," said Hiro Maekawa, President & CEO of Natsume. "In celebration of Harvest Moon's 20th Anniversary, we are offering a launch discount for a limited time. PC gamers have been asking for a Harvest Moon game for a long time, and we are glad that we are finally able to bring it to this new group of fans."

Harvest Moon: Light of Hope begins with the player looking for a fresh start and new surroundings. During the voyage, however, tragedy strikes and the player's ship is hit by a monsoon and goes down. Washing ashore in a small harbor town, now in shambles from the storm, it's up to the player to help rebuild the town and save its lighthouse.

The game includes new features such as repairing, which enables the player to repair destroyed homes and unlock new shops, characters, farming tools, and farming land. The "Farming Friend" is another new addition, which helps players grow abundant crops. Natsume says Light of Hope has a retro-plus feel with classic SNES-inspired graphics alongside some modern features in honor of the 20th anniversary. The company says that there will also be some familiar faces from previous Harvest Moon titles.